Case Details

Chapter 11: The Case

Seeing the mission reward, Bai Yan was deeply moved.

The Snow Drinking Saber was one of the strongest divine weapons in the Feng Yun world, a coveted item for any saber wielder.

Compared to his Spring Embroidered Saber, it was countless times stronger. With such a divine weapon in hand, his strength would increase by at least several levels.

Returning to the Company Commander's office, Bai Yan summoned Ren Hong and Li Kaiyao, ordering them to gather their men and investigate the home of the wealthy merchant Ye Youcai in Yongtang.

That Flower Thief had already committed six major crimes around Yongtang, and the daughter of the wealthy merchant Ye Youcai was the seventh target.

One day prior, Ye Youcai had already received a rhododendron from the Flower Thief.

Upon receiving the rhododendron, Ye Youcai was terrified and immediately reported the crime to the Ministry of Justice.

After the Ministry of Justice transferred the case files to the Imperial Guard, the task of protecting Ye Youcai's daughter naturally fell to them.

In Yongtang City's Ping'an Ward, a grand mansion with six courtyards sat in the heart of the bustling city. This was the residence of the wealthy merchant Ye Youcai.

Ye Youcai had started his business by selling alcoholic beverages, owning over fifty restaurants and inns.

In recent years, he had also ventured into the jewelry business. Truly, his name suited him well – Ye Youcai, possessing wealth and fortune, with a vast and prosperous enterprise.

Wealth stirred desire, and Ye Youcai was usually extremely thorough in protecting his family.

He had hired many martial artists as guards, including many first-rate martial artists.

However, these guards were insignificant in the face of an Innate Master.

Most Innate Masters were arrogant and could not be easily swayed by money.

Moreover, Innate Masters generally did not lack money. If they were in urgent need of funds, they could easily earn a fortune through various channels, and would not deign to act as guards for merchants.

In the main hall of the Night Manor, a middle-aged man dressed in a fine Brocade Robe, with a prosperous and round face, paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. The golden threads of the peonies embroidered on his robe swayed slightly with his movements, but could not conceal the anxiety etched on his brow.

Every few steps, he would glance towards the hall entrance, his pace hurried, sighing incessantly, his face filled with worry.

This was the wealthy merchant Ye Youcai.

On a Pear Wood Chair to the left of the hall sat a plump woman.

The woman was over forty years old, but well-preserved. A Vest in lotus root color embroidered with magnolias accentuated her voluptuous figure. Her face was delicate and gentle, hinting at her former stunning beauty.

She was Ye Youcai's wife, Madam Ye.

Madam Ye clutched a plain handkerchief in her hand at that moment, sobbing softly, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Sigh, don't cry."

Ye Youcai, his nerves frayed by the crying, stopped pacing and turned to look at his wife. His tone held a hint of impatience, but more so, helplessness:

"I'm already thinking of a solution, aren't I?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Ye's crying intensified. She suddenly raised her head, tears streaming down her cheeks, and said mournfully:

"What solution do you have? You've been thinking for a day and a night, and all you can do is wait helplessly? That Flower Thief dared to slaughter the entire Yang Family Martial Arts School; what use are our guards?"

"If something were to happen to our daughter, her purity defiled..."

She choked, unable to continue, covering her mouth tightly with her handkerchief, her shoulders shaking even more violently.

"...As her mother, I wouldn't be able to live either!"

Her cries were heart-wrenching. Ye Youcai had intended to scold her, but seeing her cry so intensely, he swallowed the words that were about to escape his lips. He could only sigh heavily and turn his back, resuming his pacing.

He had been devoted to his wife. After marrying Madam Ye, he had never taken another concubine. The vast backyard of the Night Manor had always been shared only by the couple.

They had only one daughter after marriage, whom they cherished dearly, treating her like a precious gem.

In his heart, his daughter was more valuable than mountains of gold or silver, even more precious than his own life.

If a thief had come for his wealth, Ye Youcai would not have been afraid. Money could be earned again; as long as he was alive, there was always hope for recovery.

But this time, it was the utterly depraved Flower Thief who had targeted the Ye family, plunging him into an icy abyss of despair.

Just as Ye Youcai was sweating profusely, and Madam Ye's cries were about to shake the roof, the old butler of the manor scrambled into the main hall, shouting in a panic:

"Master! Master! The adults from the Imperial Guard are here! They're just outside the manor gate!"

"What?!"

Ye Youcai's head shot up, his eyes instantly flashing with ecstatic joy, like a drowning man grasping a piece of driftwood. He said repeatedly, "Quick! Quick, invite them in! No... I'll go greet them myself!"

Saying this, Ye Youcai rushed towards the hall entrance. He stumbled due to his haste, nearly falling.

Fortunately, the old butler was quick-witted and grabbed his arm, preventing the pampered, wealthy merchant from embarrassing himself in public.

For an ordinary family, hearing that the Imperial Guard had arrived would likely have sent them into a panic, thinking they had committed a crime and were about to have their property confiscated and be arrested.

But at this moment, Ye Youcai's face was filled with excitement.

He knew better than anyone that they were here to save his life.

As Bai Yan, leading two squads of Imperial Guards, arrived at the entrance of the Night Manor, he saw a stout, middle-aged man rushing out from within the gate.

The Brocade Robe he wore was stretched taut by his round belly, which jiggled up and down as he ran, as if it might fall out of his belt at any moment. He didn't even bother to wipe the sweat beading at his temples.

"You are the esteemed officials of the Imperial Guard, correct?"

The man shouted from a distance, and by the time he got close, he was already panting. He cupped his hands deeply towards Bai Yan and his group, bowing at a ninety-degree angle. "This old servant, Ye Youcai, pays his respects to all you esteemed lords! I've been waiting and waiting, and finally, you've arrived!"

Perhaps he bent down too quickly, and his stout body lost its balance, his head careening directly towards the toe of Bai Yan's boot.

Bai Yan, with quick reflexes, reached out and gently steadied his arm, applying a soft yet firm force that stabilized his figure.

"Patriarch Ye, there's no need for such formality."

Bai Yan withdrew his hand, his tone gentle as he said, "I am Bai Yan, a Brigade Leader of the Imperial Guard. Since we have taken on this case, we will ensure the safety of the entire Ye family. For now, please have the Patriarch explain the situation in detail."

"Good, good, good!"

Ye Youcai quickly agreed, wiping the sweat from his brow. He gestured to the side, leading the way. "Esteemed lords, please come inside. Let's discuss this in detail within the manor, in detail!"

The group followed him through the elaborately carved front courtyard and into the main hall. After everyone was seated as host and guest, and the maids had served fragrant tea, Ye Youcai finally calmed himself and began to recount the events.

Just yesterday morning, when the Ye family's young lady, Ye Lingdang, woke up, she found an azalea placed by her bedside.

The petals were exquisitely tender and vibrant, with layers of red petals still adorned with glistening dewdrops, clearly having been plucked from the branch not long ago.

Ye Lingdang's boudoir was always tightly shut at night. The bolt was locked from the inside, and besides herself or her personal maid, it was impossible for any outsider to open it from the outside.

Yet, the appearance of this flower was telling her that someone had crept into her room last night without a sound while she was asleep, even leaving a token by her pillow.

If the person had ill intentions, she would have already met her demise the night before.

Thinking of this, Ye Lingdang was filled with terror and immediately informed her father, Ye Youcai.

Ye Youcai, a wealthy merchant in Yongtang with extensive connections, had already heard about the frequent "flower thief" cases around Yongtang City recently. He just hadn't expected disaster to befall his own household.

When he saw the azalea with dewdrops, he felt the world spin and was utterly terrified.

After confirming that his daughter was fully clothed and unharmed, the back of his shirt was soaked with cold sweat. Then, a wave of lingering fear washed over him; this flower thief was clearly targeting his daughter!

Ye Youcai immediately prepared a generous gift and rushed to the Ministry of Justice to report the crime. That night, he summoned all the martial artists in the manor, ordering them to guard the rear residence at all times, with men even stationed on the rooftops and in the corners.

But none of it helped.

Ye Youcai himself knew clearly that the Ministry of Justice couldn't guarantee his daughter's safety.

If the Ministry of Justice could truly catch the flower thief, the previous six cases wouldn't have happened.

Last night, under the dual protection of constables and martial artists, the flower thief did not appear, passing the night without incident.

However, Ye Youcai dared not relax his vigilance. He knew that even though the flower thief hadn't come last night, he would eventually come.

Perhaps tomorrow, perhaps tonight.

The feeling of knowing danger was imminent but being able to do nothing but tremble and await the tragedy was worse than death.

It wasn't until this morning that the constables sent by the Ministry of Justice suddenly withdrew. The leading Head Constable left a message saying the case had been transferred to the Imperial Guard for investigation.

Only now did Ye Youcai see a glimmer of hope.